@caught.la: Massive Pentecostal church fire erupts in Historic South-Central Los Angeles, sending towering flames into the sky as over 180 firefighters respond to a major emergency structure fire early Monday morning. Shortly after 3:30 AM, Los Angeles Fire Department crews arrived at the vacant, two-story former Crouch Memorial Pentecostal Church of God in Christ at 2612 S. Paloma Street, finding the historic wooden structure fully engulfed in flames. Nearly 50 LAFD resources were assigned to the incident, including fire engines, ladder trucks, battalion chiefs, rescue ambulances, HazMat 21, Heavy Rescue 3, and arson investigators. Firefighters immediately launched defensive operations from outside the building due to its dangerous structural condition. The same church caught fire in October 2013, when a catastrophic roof collapse trapped two firefighters beneath burning debris, triggering an emergency Mayday rescue. Another fire in 2024 further compromised the structure. Strong winds carried burning embers up to 200 feet into the surrounding neighborhood, sparking spot fires and threatening approximately 25 nearby homes. Downed high-voltage power lines created additional hazards as firefighters used aerial ladder pipes, heavy water streams, and multiple hose lines to prevent the flames from spreading. After 1 hour and 36 minutes, crews successfully achieved knockdown and protected all 25 threatened homes from destruction. One nearby resident was evaluated at the scene, but no civilian or firefighter injuries were reported. The historic church has since been red-tagged for demolition due to extensive structural damage. The LAFD Arson Counterterrorism Section is investigating the cause of the fire. • Independent Los Angeles news coverage filmed exclusively by us, Caught LA. On-scene emergency and breaking news media coverage documenting incidents across Los Angeles. For footage licensing and media inquiries: [email protected] Follow us: IG: caughtla TikTok: caught.la YouTube: caughtla • #caughtla #lafd #losangeles #breakingnews #structurefire

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Tuesday 13 October 2026 00:21:06 GMT